CONOR Hourihane has called time on his playing career after taking on the assistant head coach at Barnsley on a permanent basis.
The Bandon soccer star, who left West Cork when he was just 16 years old, made over 580 appearances across all competitions as well as earning 36 caps for the Republic of Ireland.
When Hourihane resigned for Barnsley in the summer, the intention was to be both a coach and a player for the next two years, but he has made such an impression on the coaching front, the club has decided to promote him and move him into a permanent coaching position.
'I have loved every second of my time as a player at all the clubs I represented. The two Wembley victories with Barnsley and getting promoted and playing in the Premier League for Aston Villa are moments I will remember forever and I am grateful to so many people, starting with my parents who allowed me to come to England at 16 years of age,' Hourihane said.
'My intention was to play, but a combination of not feeling I could perform to the standard I expected and the amazing coaching opportunity that Barnsley have provided has meant I have come to this decision and I am excited to become a full-time Assistant Head Coach to Darrell at Oakwell.”
I’m delighted to announce my new role as Assistant Head Coach. I’d like to thank Neerav, Mladen and Darrell on giving me this opportunity and it’s one I’m really excited for. pic.twitter.com/STINjx3WIH
— Conor Hourihane (@ConorHourihane) December 20, 2024
Barnsley Sporting Director Mladen Sormaz commented: 'We are delighted that Conor has agreed to take up this role permanently, it has clearly been on the cards for a number of weeks.
'We came to the decision based on two factors, the first was that Conor really impressed in his coaching duties over the summer and at the start of the season, the number of hours he was putting in was massive. Secondly, after the opening games, he had felt that he wasn’t able to play to the level he demanded from himself and this coincided with Dean Whitehead’s departure- therefore it made perfect sense to give Conor more responsibility as a Coach and call time on his playing career. The Club and Darrell collaborated on the decision and collectively we are excited to see what else Conor can bring to the staff after a very positive start.'
To all my teammates, coaches, managers and fans,who have supported me on my journey thank you. I’ve been very fortunate to have lived my dream. I take great pride in knowing I gave it my all. Hard work, sacrifice and the will to want to improve daily got me from League 2 to the.. pic.twitter.com/alSEhN0LTn
— Conor Hourihane (@ConorHourihane) December 20, 2024
Head Coach Darrell Clarke added, “Conor has been outstanding as a coach, the workload is huge and it’s a job he has taken very seriously and therefore we are in a position where it’s simply not possible to maintain both roles, I’m delighted with Conor’s progress, he is a top coach but also a mentor to a lot of young men within the Club looking to replicate the career he has had.'
